Monday, July 22, 2024

Ellen Won Steil’s “Becoming Marlow Fin”

Ellen Won Steil is the bestselling author of Fortune and the newly released Becoming Marlow Fin. She grew up in Iowa in a Korean-American family and earned her BA in journalism from Drake University and law degree from William Mitchell College of Law. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two young sons. Steil believes most good stories have at least a hint of darkness.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of her novel Becoming Marlow Fin:
Becoming Marlow Fin is a suspense, family drama that centers around the sudden appearance of a little girl at the Baek Family’s Lake Superior cabin, and how her absorption into the family disrupts their seemingly perfect lives. Isla watches on as her adopted sister Marlow, grows up into a famous model and actress, their lives continually intwining with both moments of closeness and tension. Told through Isla’s reflections and Marlow’s perspective in a sensationalized “tell all” interview format, the twists and turns all culminate into a deadly incident at the lake where it all began.

As an author, I’m very visual in my process and tend to picture “scenes” playing out in my mind as I write them. Even with dialogue, I find it helps to envision the characters and their facial expressions. Especially with this story, I wanted characters who were diverse and uniquely beautiful, showcasing how our physical differences are truly our gifts.

For Marlow: The absolute dream, ideal casting for this multi-layered character is Zendaya. Unique in her loveliness both inside and out, she personifies how the standard for what we consider “beautiful” has changed. There’s something enigmatic about her and it’s hard to picture anyone else as close to the character as her.

For Isla: This character requires someone who can be both understated and then unexpectedly brash. Ashley Park has that persona. I’ve seen her play bold roles like Emily In Paris, and more subtle yet powerful ones like Naomi in Beef. She’s so fiercely talented and it would be amazing to see her take on this complex role.
Visit Ellen Won Steil's website.

--Marshal Zeringue